The Power of a Short Visit and a Great Family

This weekend wasn’t too bad of a weekend. I was on duty this weekend (for those of you who don’t know, “duty nights/weekends” relate to my job as an RA). It was a relatively quiet weekend, and my duty partner and I got a decent amount of time to talk about life on our rounds. I also got to spend some time with my roommate, a couple friends, and my girlfriend. So, overall, not bad. However, due to a recent inability to sleep that came about the past week, I was really exhausted on my midnight and 2 AM rounds.

Friday consisted of a trip to Taco Bell with Emily, Kristyn, Mack, and Amanda, and some video games later in the night with Emily while I was on duty. Saturday, I spent about 6 or 7 hours on homework, and got a lot of work done. It was nice to have so much time to be productive, and it really helped me feel better about myself. I also went on a 25 minute run, which helped clear my mind. Dan (my staff member) and I had an interesting encounter with some people that were waiting in our front lobby’s breezeway for a cab. The joys of watching college students on a Saturday night can never quite be explained, but there is something immensely amusing about it.

I was able to get some more reading done for my class on Sunday, and also was able to get in a 30 minute run. However, I was pretty giddy all day, which made focusing difficult time. The reason for my eagerness was the impending visit of my sister and her boyfriend. I was anxious all day awaiting their arrival, as I haven’t been able to see my family since I left for winter staff training before winter break ended. Being away from my family is always incredibly tough for me, and sometimes my position as an RA, combined with my job in the Honors office, my other involvements here at Central, and my academics, can make it difficult for me to get home as much as I would like to. Allyse and Jay arrived around 6 o’clock, and I was able to show them the set up of my room and show them around my hall a little bit. We headed off for dinner at a local place in Mt. Pleasant, called Pixies. Pixies has the feel of a 1950s diner, and serves some pretty good diner type food. I got to catch up with the two of them for a little while, and got to give them a little taste of Mt. Pleasant while I was at it. Though I only got to see them for about an hour and a half, it was enough to refresh my spirits for the coming week. Tomorrow, I will get to see my mom and dad as they drive back home from their vacation, which will also be a relatively short visit.

Regardless of the length of these visits, I realize how lucky I am to have the family that I do. We have always had each other’s back, and we are always looking out for the best interest of the rest of the family. I know I am blessed to have a family that supports me the way that mine does. I am so thankful for the time I get with them, even if it’s as little as an hour. I know I won’t be able to go home for the next couple of weeks because of two upcoming Honors events, but I know I am fortunate to have these opportunities for quick visits this week.

More posts will probably come regarding my excitement over seeing my family this week. As for now, just know that I am heading to bed with a happy heart after being able to see Allyse and Jay today.

Have a great night friends. Remember to appreciate those you love and all they do for you. Time is short, and life is precious. Don’t waste it by not appreciating the moments we have with those we love.

Until next time!

Allyse and Jay at our visit to Pixies! So glad I got to see them today!